Ankle support for skaters



Se t. 13, 1966 A. L. NELSON ANKLE SUYPORT FOR SKATERS Filed May 28, 1964 H l 2 7 2 2 I I1 5 7 5 9 t, I O 2 3 1 W W u i W 6 mm 3m 2 ,HHWIII 9 FIG.2..

INVENTOR. AUGUST L. NELSON ATTORNEYS United States atent O 3,272,525 ANKLE SUPPORT FOR SKATERS August L. Nelson, 2916 Mesa Drive, West Covina, Calif. Filed May 28, 1964, Ser. No. 370,859

4 Claims. (CI. 280-1136) This invention relates generally to ankle supports for skaters, and refers more particularly to a support that can be connected to a combined skate and shoe to effectively prevent the ankle of a skater from turning or bending sideways while skating.

One of the essential objects of the invention is to provide a support of the type mentioned that is connected to the rear of a combined skate and shoe and that will not interfere in any way with a normal skating stroke.

Another object is to provide a support that can be easily and quickly attached to or removed from a combined skate and shoe and that will not become accidentally displaced or detached while a person is skating.

Another object is to provide a support having a horizontally extending rearwardly opening U-shaped portion that can be anchored between the blade or runner and a heel plate of a skate, and having an upright portion that is slidable vertically. within a guide member fixed to the rear of the shoe to permit the foot of the wearer to bend forwardly and rearwardly while skating.

Another object is to provide a support wherein the upright portion preferably conforms in shape to or follows closely the rear of the shoe, except at its upper end where such upright portion is bent rearwardly so that the upper end thereof will be free of said shoe while skating.

Another object is to provide a support wherein the horizontally extending rearwardly opening U-shaped portion and the upright portion thereof are formed from a single length of spring steel which is strong and durable, but is capable of flexing wherever and whenever necessary while skating.

Another object is to provide a support that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and eificient in operation.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of an attachment embodying my invention secured to a combined skate and shoe.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the skate.

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the attachment secured to the combined skate and shoe.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the attachment.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the guide member and through a part of the flexible upper portion of the shoe, and showing the upright portion of the single length of spring steel extending through the vertical opening in the guide member.

Referring now to the drawing, 10 is a skate, 11 is a shoe fixed to said skate, and 12 is an attachment forming the support or brace embodying my invention.

As shown, the skate has a horizontally extending vertically disposed elongated blade or runner 13 provided at longitudinally spaced points of its upper edge with upright strut portions 14 and 15 respectively. Mounted on said strut portions 14 and 15 are horizontal plates 16 and 17 respectively having vertical holes 18 therein through which extend headed fasteners 19 for securing the skate 10 to the sole 20 and heel 21 respectively of the shoe 11.

The shoe 11 is a conventional skaters shoe and has the usual flexible upper portion 23.

The attachment 12 forming the support or brace cornprises a guide member 24 and a single length 25 of spring steel having a horizontally extending rearwardly opening U shaped portion 26 and an upright portion 27.

Preferably the guide member 24 is formed from plastic material and comprises an elongated upwardly and outwardly inclined block 28 having therethrough at substantially the center thereof a vertical opening 29 adapted to slidingly receive the upright portion 27 of the single length 25 of spring steel, and having in the forward vertical end thereof an interiorly threaded socket 30 for receiving a headed fastener such as a screw 31. As shown, the screw 31 has an exteriorly threaded shank 32 that extends extending rearwardly opening U-shaped. portion 26 and the upright portion 27.

As shown, the horizontally extending rearwardly opening U-shaped portion 26 comprises two laterally spaced substantially parallel portions 34 and 35 respectively of the length of spring steel having closely spaced parallel portions 34a and 35a at the curved base of the U and having contacting portions 34b and 3511 at the rear open end of the U. The lowermost of the portions 34 and 35 of the length of spring steel form the lower leg 36 of the U and are connected at the rear open end of the U by an upstanding inverted U-shaped portion 37. The uppermost of the portions 34 and 35 of the length of spring steel form the upper leg 38 of the U, and the portion 35b thereof has an upward extension 35c that is in contact with and is connected at 39 td the lower end of the upright portion 27 by being welded, brazed or soldered together.

The upright portion 27 of the length of spring steel, except for the connection 39 therewith of the portion 35c, comprises a single portion of the length of spring steel which preferably conforms in shape to and follows closely the rear of the shoe 11. Such upright portion 27 extends freely through the vertical opening 29 in. the guide member 24 so as to be slidable vertically relative thereto during forward and rearward fiexure of the upper portion 23 of the shoe 11 while skating, and is bent rearwardly at its upper end as at 40 so that such rearwardly bent portion 40 will be free of the shoe 11 and will not interfere therewith while skating.

When it is desired to secure the attachment 12 to a combined skate 10 and shoe 11, the guide member 24 is first sleeved upon the upright portion 27 of the single length of spring steel to form the attachment 12. Such attachment 12 is then secured tothe combined skate 10 and shoe 11 by first inserting the horizontally extending rearwardly opening U-shaped portion 26 between the blade or runner 13 and the heel plate 17 of the skate, so that the upstanding inverted U-shaped portion 37 and the portions 34 and 35 of the lower leg 36 of the U will straddle the blade or runner 13 of the skate and so that the portions 34 and 35 of the upper leg 38 of the U will straddle the upright strut portion 15 of the skate beneath the heel plate 17 thereof. Due to the closely spaced parallel portions 34a and 35a of the curved base of the U, the insertion of the horizontally extending rearwardly opening U-shaped portion 26 between the blade or runner l3 and the heel plate 17 of the skate will be accompanied by a snap action of the closely spaced parallel portions 340 and 35a with the strut 15 and with the blade or runner 13 of the skate. Moreover, the horizontally extending rearwardly opening Ushapcd portion 26 will be under compression after being inserted between the blade or runner 13 and the heel plate 17 of the skate, because the space between the bight of the ups anding inverted U-shaped portion 37 and the portions 34 and 35 of the upper leg of the U is normally greater than the space between the blade or runner 13 and the heel plate 17 of the skate. Thereafter, the guide member 24 is secured by the screw 31 to the upper portion 23 of the shoe at the rear thereof.

In use, while skating, the horizontally extending rearwardly opening U-shaped portion 26 of the attachment will be anchored as aforesaid between the blade or runner 13 and the heel plate 17 of the skate, while the upright portion 27 of the attachment will be slidable freely through the vertical opening 29 in the guide member 24 during forward and rearward flexure of the upper portion 23 of the shoe 1]. Thus, such attachment will effectively prevent theankle of a skater from turning or bending sideways while skating, and will not interfere in any way with a normal skating stroke.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An attachment for a combined skate and shoe wherein the skate has a horizontally extending vertically disposed e'longated blade provided at its upper edge with longitudinally spaced upright strut portions and has horizontal plates mounted on said strut portions and secured to the sole and heel respectively of said shoe; comprising a guide member attachable to the upper portion of said shoe at the rear thereof, and a single length of spring steel having a horizontally extending portion attachable to said skate between the elongated blade of said skate and the plate secured to the heel of said shoe, having an upright portion slidably engaging said guide memher, and having an upstanding inverted U-shaped portion adapted to straddle the elongated blade of said skate.

2. An attachment for a combined skate and shoe wherein the skate has a horizontally extending vertically disposed elongated blade provided at its upper edge with longitudinally spaced upright strut portions and has horizontal plates mounted on said strut portions and secured to the sole and heel respectively of said shoe; comprising a guide member attachable to the upper portion of said shoe at the rear thereof, and a single length of spring steel having a horizontally extending portion attachable to said skate between the elongated blade of said skate and the plate secured to the heel of said shoe, and having an upright portion slidably engaging said guide member, said horizontally extending portion of the single length of spring steel being substantially U-shaped and opening rearwardly, said horizontally extending U-shaped portion being provided at the open rear end thereof with an up standing inverted U-shaped portion adapted to straddle the elongated blade of said skate.

3. An attachment for a combined skate and shoe wherein the skate has a horizontally extending vertically disposed elongated blade provided at its upper edge with longitudinally spaced upright strut portions and has horizontal plates mounted on said strut portions and secured to the sole and heel respectively of said shoe; comprising a guide member attachable to the upper portion of said shoe at the rear thereof, and a single length of spring steel having a horizontally extending portion attachable to said skate between the elongated blade of said skate and the plate secured to the heel of said shoe, and having an upright portion slidably engaging said guide member, said horizontally extending portion of the single length of spring steel being substantially U-shaped and opening rearwardly, said horizontally extending U-shaped portion comprising two laterally spaced substantially parallel portions of the single length of spring steel, and said two laterally spaced parallel portions being adapted to straddle the elongated blade of said skate and one of the strut portions of said skate.

4. An attachment for a combined skate and shoe wherein the skate has a horizontally extending vertically disposed elongated blade provided at its upper edge with longitudinally. spaced upright strut portions and has horizontal plates mounted on said'strut portions and secured to the sole and heel respectively of said shoe; comprising a guide member attachable to the upper portion of said shoe at the rear thereof, and a single length of spring steel having a horizontally extending portion attachable to said skate between the elongated blade of said skate and the plate secured to the heel of said shoe, and having an upright portion slidably engaging said guide member, said horizontally extending portion of the single length of spring steel being substantially U-shaped and opening rearwardly, said horizontally extending U-shaped portion comprising two laterally spaced substantially parallel portions of the single length of spring steel, the lowermost of said two parallel portions of the single length of spring steel forming the lower leg of said U-shaped portion and being connected at the rear end of the horizontally extending U-shaped portion by an upstanding inverted U-shaped portion adapted to straddle the elongated blade of said skate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 805,667 11/1905 Riblet 280-1136 1,140,473 5/1915 McLoney 280--11.36 2,301,476 11/1942 Sutherland 280-1136 2,731,275 1/1956 Paden 280-11.36

References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,517,444 12/ 1924 McLinden.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner. 

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR A COMBINED SKATE AND SHOE WHEREIN THE SKATE HAS A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING VERTICALLY DISPOSED ELONGATED BLADE PROVIDED AT ITS UPPER EDGE WITH LONGITUDINALLY SPACED UPRIGHT STRUT PORTIONS AND HAS HORIZONTAL PLATES MOUNTED ON SAID STRUT PORTIONS AND SECURED TO THE SOLE AND HEEL RESPECTIVELY OF SAID SHOE; COMPRISING A GUIDE MEMBER ATTACHABLE TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SHOE AT THE REAR THEREOF, AND A SINGLE LENGTH OF SPRING STEEL HAVING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING PORTION ATTACHABLE TO SAID SKATE BETWEEN THE ELONGATED BLADE OF SAID SKATE AND THE PLATE SECURED TO THE HEEL OF SAID SHOE, HAVING AN UPRIGHT PORTION SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID GUIDE MEMBER, AND HAVING AN UPSTANDING INVERTED U-SHAPED PORTION ADAPTED TO STRADDLE THE ELONGATED BLADE OF SAID SKATE. 